IdaGriz01
Well-known member
Last week, I thought my guesses were going to be tough because seven ranked teams lost, and were scattered more or less from top to bottom. Yet I hit 22 of 25 on the nose or within one spot, and had only one “bad beat” -- putting NC Central up too much. Well, my chances of doing that again look pretty slim. Yesterday was a partial repeat, with seven ranked teams losing. Problem is, six of the losses were among the top-11 ranked teams. None of those losers is likely to drop out of the top-25 (with one possible exception.) But guessing how the pollsters will count the different losses makes it even more of a crap shoot as to how much each will drop.
Guess, Team, (Record), [Current Rank]
1 James Madison (7-0) [1]
2 North Dakota State (7-0) [2]
3 Jacksonville State (6-1) [3]
4 Central Arkansas (6-1) [6]
5 Sam Houston State (6-1) [7]
6 North Carolina A&T (8-0) [12]
7 South Dakota State (5-2) [13]
8 Elon (6-1) [14]
9 Samford (5-2) [16]
10 South Dakota (6-1) [4]
11 Villanova (4-3) [15]
12 Wofford (6-1) [5]
13 Grambling (6-1) [17]
14 Eastern Washington (5-3) [8]
15 New Hampshire (5-2) [18]
16 Western Illinois (5-2) [10]
17 Richmond (4-3) [11]
18 Western Carolina (6-2) [19]
19 Youngstown State (3-4) [9]
20 McNeese (6-1) [20]
21 Montana (5-2) [21]
22 Stony Brook (5-2) [22]
23 Weber State (5-2) [23]
24 Illinois State (5-2) [24]
25 Northern Arizona (5-2) NR
Southern Utah (5-2)
Delaware (5-2)
Northern Iowa (4-3)
First, the easy part. NC Central, sitting at #25, lost … so they’re out. Northern Arizona was just out last week, so they should easily move in.
My formulas dropped South Dakota by 6 spots. They lost to a ranked team, but only #24 and it was pretty decisive. They could drop a bit more. I dropped Wofford by seven, but it seems to me they’ve been skating on thin ice and could drop some more. All the other drops were fairly “standard,” except one.
The big puzzle has to be Youngstown State, now sitting at 3-4. I dropped them ten spots (which is huge and seldom happens). But does a team with a losing record even deserve to be ranked, even if it is in the “mighty” MVFC? Which brings up another kicker: It would not at all surprise me to see the pollsters give Illinois State a big bounce-back vote. Honestly, I can see them jumping to #21, thereby pushing the Griz down one.
To add to the mess, we now have two 5-2 teams “lurking” just out of the top-25, and both of them upset ranked teams. How will they figure in the mix? And, last but not least, there is 4-3 UNI, which also knocked off a ranked team.
Ouch. Should be very interesting tomorrow.
Guess, Team, (Record), [Current Rank]
1 James Madison (7-0) [1]
2 North Dakota State (7-0) [2]
3 Jacksonville State (6-1) [3]
4 Central Arkansas (6-1) [6]
5 Sam Houston State (6-1) [7]
6 North Carolina A&T (8-0) [12]
7 South Dakota State (5-2) [13]
8 Elon (6-1) [14]
9 Samford (5-2) [16]
10 South Dakota (6-1) [4]
11 Villanova (4-3) [15]
12 Wofford (6-1) [5]
13 Grambling (6-1) [17]
14 Eastern Washington (5-3) [8]
15 New Hampshire (5-2) [18]
16 Western Illinois (5-2) [10]
17 Richmond (4-3) [11]
18 Western Carolina (6-2) [19]
19 Youngstown State (3-4) [9]
20 McNeese (6-1) [20]
21 Montana (5-2) [21]
22 Stony Brook (5-2) [22]
23 Weber State (5-2) [23]
24 Illinois State (5-2) [24]
25 Northern Arizona (5-2) NR
Southern Utah (5-2)
Delaware (5-2)
Northern Iowa (4-3)
First, the easy part. NC Central, sitting at #25, lost … so they’re out. Northern Arizona was just out last week, so they should easily move in.
My formulas dropped South Dakota by 6 spots. They lost to a ranked team, but only #24 and it was pretty decisive. They could drop a bit more. I dropped Wofford by seven, but it seems to me they’ve been skating on thin ice and could drop some more. All the other drops were fairly “standard,” except one.
The big puzzle has to be Youngstown State, now sitting at 3-4. I dropped them ten spots (which is huge and seldom happens). But does a team with a losing record even deserve to be ranked, even if it is in the “mighty” MVFC? Which brings up another kicker: It would not at all surprise me to see the pollsters give Illinois State a big bounce-back vote. Honestly, I can see them jumping to #21, thereby pushing the Griz down one.
To add to the mess, we now have two 5-2 teams “lurking” just out of the top-25, and both of them upset ranked teams. How will they figure in the mix? And, last but not least, there is 4-3 UNI, which also knocked off a ranked team.
Ouch. Should be very interesting tomorrow.